Almost all articles of manufacture include some type of identification, such as source, maker, model no., warnings, etc. In some instances, manufacturing regulations require it. Many different types of labels have been used in the past in this regard, such as less permanent stickers, wired tags, paint, and thin metal (usually aluminum) plates with an embossed or debossed marking attached to the articles using screws, nails, or rivets, etc. Sometimes a marking is engraved, debossed, embossed, or burnt directly onto the articles. For instance, in leather goods, markings are branded directly onto the articles using a hot iron. In this regard, one known type of consumer branding tool was sold in the trade name of BRAN-DET.TM. by Marketing International Inc., Topeka, Kans., which tool was advertised for branding wood, plastic, leather, and rubber. Labels and markings thus have considerable utility, particularly in the manufacturing industry.
In the past, articles, particularly home appliances and tools, were manufactured using a metal or wood housing. Any of the above noted labels could be used with these types of appliances. But now, more and more appliances are leaning toward housings made from thermoplastics, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystylene. These newer types could also use aforementioned conventional labels. With consumer safety in mind, many times appliances need to instruct the consumer of certain hazards associated with its use. Typically in the past, warnings or safety instructions were included in a label affixed to the articles. It would be desirable to make the label as permanent as possible. Glued, screwed, or riveted labels can come off through use or wear. Markings can also be engraved, but the newer materials do not necessarily provide a good result and they can also be difficult to apply.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,436 to Richey discloses an alternative method of forming indicia by melting away the top layer of a label while leaving the lower layer visible. While this method may provide a distinctively visible marking, when the label is taken off, it too is removed along with the label.
Consumers are often wary of buying stolen appliances (if bought used) or their own appliances being stolen. It would be desirable for the owner to leave a permanent indicia, such as the owner's name, on the appliance. While the commercial labels can be used for this purpose, the consumers usually do not have access to the necessary tooling, such as a metal stamping tool, rivets, etc. And commercially available labels are not too much different from the label taught by the '436 in that the markings come off along with the label. There is a need for an alternative, efficient, and economic way of permanently marking consumer goods, either commercially or by the end user. The present invention fulfills this need.